Simple Thing
by waningbluemoon
Summary: A short vignette on Rapunzel being introduced to grass.


Grass, the word was just as foreign to her as the feel of it, the smell of it. Rapunzel only knew the basics of grass: one being that it was green in the summer and spring, then yellowed in the summer, and in the winter it collected a thick blanket of snow. In the warm weather just before dawn, it glistened. Mother said that was called 'dew', but she gave nothing more then that. Mother, after all, tended to stifle curiosity. Everything that Rapunzel knew about grass she learned from observation, the rest was lost to her. The second thing she knew for certain was that grass did not grow in the tower, at least not on the floor, the only place that she managed to grow anything was within potted plants. Still, it was not the same. Then again, Mother would be quite furious if she tried to grow grass on the floor of the tower. Rapunzel could not see why her mother would object, grass looked as if it was softer on one's feet then hardwood floor.

Rapunzel knew that grass grew in the great beyond, out past her window and when it waved in a soft breeze she was almost certain that it called her name. It called to her and in its song spoke of the life that she so desperately wanted to live, to know but yet had the courage to chase. That was until "Flynn Rider" showed up, unannounced. In that worn leather satchel of his, he carried some sparkly trinket that she knew nothing of, along with a few things that the man-strangely attractive and aesthetically pleasing-did not know that he carried. Hope and opportunity. A chance, particularly as she had sent Mother off to get the paint from the seashells that took three days time. Besting a man in combat, at least in her mind, had given Rapunzel a newfound courage. Without Mother around, both Rapunzel and Pascal were far more prone to be adventurous, and though Mother had throughly rejected the idea to see the lights, that had not stopped Rapunzel. Not this time. She had waited eighteen years in the dark, metaphorically and literally, ever year to watch the "stars". She was determined not to make it another year, another day without knowing.

Down the great banner of silken hair she had slid and felt the rush of the wind in her face. How it was so crisp, so cold and how it brought such a curious pink blush to her cheeks. Still, Rapunzel was not deterred as she survey the new domain from every direction, and giggled at her boldness. Yet she stopped precariously close to the grass. Grass. Truly she was a step away, and she had hesitated again. However, like the last time, it was a momentary hesitation and she did not need a chirp from Pascal or another noise from Flynn, who she already forgotten still made his way down the tower's facade with two very strange objects, to move. It came natural, if not a little slow. Eighteen years she had waited for this day! What if it was not everything that she dreamed of?

Rapunzel lowered down one foot into the soft bed of grass, which was also cold from the drew and had a very inviting, rainbow colored sheen to it that was much prettier up close. The sensation was rather shocking, tactile touch was so fascinating! Once her foot was firmly placed on the ground, Rapunzel lowered the other one rather quickly as she was all eager to absorb and feel every sensation. It was magical! She stretched her toes and wriggled the around, and Rapunzel swore she could almost feel each blade of grass under her feet. It tickled her soft padded feet, the sensation brought a smile to her lips and almost a laugh. It was if she stood on a bed of feathers which was so much different then hardwood floors. Grass felt a bit like dust, and yet not-her scale of comparison, after all was rather limited. Light and refreshing but with a weight to it, a sense of both strength and life. Luckily Flynn was still on his trip to the ground, this would take a while. The blonde then went to her knees and flopped with an apparent lack of grace that earned a chiding sort of snort from her new companion. Not that she cared. Pascal beside her chirped again and did a little dance beside her. So this was why he was so keen to venture beyond the window! The world beyond it was marvelous!

In a fresh bed of grass, which rivaled in comfort to her own bed up in the tower, Rapunzel stretched out her arms and felt through the sheer sleeves of fabric absorbed the dew. Again it was gold but she did not mind it. Everything around her carried an earthen smell that completely flooded ever sense that she possessed. For a second, she tucked a fat weft of hair under her head, an impromptu pillow, and stared at the sky above. How intense of a blue it looked, deeper and more striking then she could have imagined it. Not clouded or thinned out like paint by the rainbow colored glass of her windows. A pretty color that she would have to remember for future reference. How puffy and in striking contrast the clouds were, in comparison to the sky which looked both quite far away and very flat. In a charming little way they moved lazily past, and as she thought it a meander, almost the sluggish one that Pascal used when she prodded him from sleep with a finger tip, Rapunzel smiled again. She then rolled onto her stomach, and forgot entirely that Flynn was there at all, as she stroked the grass tips. This close she could note the very different textures and shapes to individual pieces. Why one had fuzzy little tops on it oddly, looked like flowers but were too green, that one ticked a little under her touch. Another a little further off but still in reach of her arm, had fat rounded leaves, four of them branching off a stem. It looked rather darling in her opinion.

When the breeze began to blow, Rapunzel noted a very strange, exceptionally soft flower. It might have well been an Earthbound cloud. All fluffy and white, nearly transparent. It felt like a feather. Pascal altered her with a noise and pointed at it with his tail, and continued to do so until she plucked it. So this was what it felt like to touch a cloud! Pascal chirped again as Rapunzel seemed to understand what he meant, to Flynn, naturally, she was quite insane. She raised the flower to her lips and gave it a sharp breath which sent the fluffy head into hundreds of tiny pieces into the air. Off to be with the clouds! Fascinating! She stared with wide eyed wonder as they made a merry sort of dance in the air before she and promptly sneezed. Once then twice, as Pascal shook his head, but nevertheless looked as amused as a chameleon could possibly look.

Rapunzel knew then that the grass did call her name. It called her home, out of her tower and into the world. A world of change and beauty, her life was all to ready to begin.


End file.
